Foxwoods opens new concourse of shops Friday

Mashantucket - A retail concourse in the works since last year at Foxwoods Resort Casino will get its official opening at 1 p.m. Friday next to Great Cedar Casino, marking the completion of a $15 million makeover.

The shopping area includes new shops such as Activa, Folli Follie, Kidstuff, Outpost, Native Nations, Sugar Rush, Scenses and Panache.

Rodney Butler, chairman of the Mashantucket Tribal Nation, will be there to mark the opening, joined by Scott Butera, president and chief executive of Foxwoods. Joan Bradley Reedy of the accessories firm Vera Bradley also will be on hand, and Foxwoods' chief pastry chef will handcarve a fox made out of a chocolate block.

"The modern, well-appointed stores completely revitalize the resort's shopping experience," Butera said in a statement. "The addition of these retail stores, along with the planned opening of the Tanger Outlets next spring, will solidify Foxwoods as the pre-eminent shopping destination in the area."

The Tanger Outlets at Foxwoods was billed as a $115 million project, while the recently completed renovation of rooms at the Grand Pequot Tower was given a price tag of $23 million.

Foxwoods previously said the concourse area, originally designed with a small-town New England feel, would take inspiration from the natural surroundings of the Mashantucket Pequot reservation. An original 12 stores was whittled down to nine.

A/Z Corp. of North Stonington served as the project's general contractor.